Escort Debuts Alert Social Network

West Chester, Ohio
- Escort joined the social-network program today with its introduction of
Escort Live real-time notification network.

Billed as "the
ultimate real-time ticket protection network," Escort Live enables drivers to
share live alerts with other drivers about speed cameras, speed traps and
speed-limit info.

The company's
SmartCord Live uses Bluetooth and a smartphone app to transmit alerts from the
radar detector to the Cloud. These alerts are then broadcast across the Escort
Live network. Drivers also are notified of alerts with Escort's Defender
database.

To enter an alert
into the system, users can swipe the screen of their phone or tap a button on
the SmartCord.

According to Ron
Gividen, communications manager at Escort, the alerts are not verified but are
instead time sensitive. After 30 minutes, an alert will turn from red to
orange; after another 30 minutes, the alert will yellow, and it will disappear
after the next 30 minutes.

Users have the
option to filter the types of alerts they wish to receive.

Alerts are
displayed with band, signal strength and frequency. Previously recorded alerts
are indicated by an "approaching live alert" message with directional location
arrow and distance-to-arrive to the alert source, it added.

Gividen said that
unlike the Defender database, users will no longer have to sit through software
updates. This will all be done automatically since the data is in the Cloud.

The Escort Live service
and SmartCord device can be used with both iPhones and Android smartphones. Current
Escort owners with compatible radar detectors can purchase the SmartCord Live
power cord, app and Escort Live subscription through 2012 for a special
introductory price of $79.95. This price will last until the end of this year,
and a one-year subscription to the service will cost $39.95 beginning in
January 2012.